Do students need insurance whilst studying away from home?

Starting the student journey 

Today’s campuses are filled with students from many different backgrounds. There are those who have just passed their A-Levels and more mature students who might be entering higher education for the first time.

And, just like the variety of students out there, there’s also lots of different circumstances s that students may be facing from moving into halls of residence for the first time, to settling into a shared house off campus.

When going away to university, insurance probably isn’t at the top of any student’s ‘to do’ list. However, it’s important to make sure any personal belongings are properly protected since they can be expensive to replace. 

Protecting gadgets and gizmos

Indeed, students are not only likely to have gadgets like phones and laptops to protect but also other potentially expensive items like clothes, jewellery cameras and bikes.  

Accidents happen, especially during the moving-in period and the excitement of freshers’ week, and unfortunately there is always the chance of daring thieves in public spaces. So, if the worst happens, it’s good to have insurance to fall back on to make sure any broken or lost items can be easily and quickly replaced.

Check your home insurance policy to see if students living away from home are covered.

Before buying separate contents insurance, it’s worth checking if you’re covered under an existing policy. Students may automatically be covered by their parents home insurance policy for theft or loss of items that are ‘temporarily removed from the home’ such as when a member of the family goes away to university.

Many insurers such as Paymentshield do allow this, but of course you should check your insurance documentation or contact your insurer if you’re not sure. Any student who plans to rely on their parent’s policy should also check with their parents that they’re happy to make any claims on their behalf should they need.  

Check where your policy provides protection

Sometimes cover for belongings removed from the home only applies to items while they are in the student accommodation and not while taken out and about to seminars or lectures so you should also check your home insurance policy to see what terms and conditions apply.

Explore additional protection available

Many home insurance policies also offer a benefit known as ‘personal possessions’ cover. This optional extra can provide extra peace of mind against loss or damage to personal items which are usually worn or carried away from home and where added to a policy, this cover could also protect a student’s belongings at university while they’re out ad about. For example, if a laptop bag was stolen while walking home from a lecture, personal possessions cover could mean the cost of replacing the bag, laptop and anything else in it would be covered. 

Exactly what’s covered by personal possessions cover will depend on the terms of your policy and the specific features and exclusions your provider has indicated in the documentation but in many cases, this type of insurance can cover all or many of the following:Mobile phones